APS-EPS-ICTP Travel Award Fellowship Programme (ATAP)

In honour of the 2022 International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development, the APS-EPS-ICTP Travel Award Fellowship Programme (ATAP) has been established. Its actions further support goals of the recently-declared International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (2024-2033) and the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology 2025.

ATAP was created to take advantage of the important partnerships between the ICTP, the American Physical Society (APS), and the European Physical Society (EPS) to provide career-enhancing opportunities for active early career scientists from developing countries. Since 2023, ATAP has been joined by the APS Forum on Early Career Scientists (FECS).

Fields of research

Other

Various branches of physical sciences.

Who can apply

Outstanding doctoral students or early career physicists (within 10 years of their PhD), wishing to return to the laboratory of their alma mater, or to another laboratory with which they have established a working collaboration, for a period of two months, who are nationals of developing countries, and who are currently studying or working in their same or another developing country.

Requirements:

To be a doctoral student or early career physicist (within 10 years of their PhD).
To be a national of a developing country, and currently studying or working in their same or another developing country.
To spend a period of two months at a laboratory with which they have already established a collaboration; in particular, special consideration is given to those returning to their alma mater. Expected outcomes are the strengthening of existing, collaborations, and/or the creation of new ones, to conduct world-class research, enhance their list of publications and, in the case of a return visit, use laboratory facilities that they are already familiar with. In exceptional cases, selected recipients can visit a new laboratory, if they have changed their research direction and can demonstrate why a different laboratory is more suitable to their career development.
Proficiency in English, or fluency in the language of the host country, is required.

Entitlements

ATAP will provide a grant of 5,000 Euro, so that the selected young scientist can cover the major costs of a two consecutive month research visit to a participating laboratory in Europe (excluding Italy) and North America, or to a more advanced developing country.

All funds should be used within the same calendar year they are awarded. Therefore starting dates should not be later than November 1 of that same year.

How to apply

Candidates will need to send the following documentation to itlabs@ictp.it with the subject line “ATAP Fellowships - and their full name” by 31 March in the year of the intended Fellowship. The application should contain:

A complete CV (which must indicate gender, date of birth and publication list)
At least one letter of reference
A letter of agreement and endorsement by the host laboratory that includes a short description of the research to be carried out during the two-month visit and stating how this visit will enhance the applicant's own research and career
A 1-page budget plan estimating the travel costs and local expenses.

Selection process

An external panel involving up to 2 representatives from each partner of the programme, will evaluate the applications received and make recommendations to the Head of the External Activities Unit, who will be responsible for assigning the fellowships by mid-April of the Fellowship year.

No more than 2 travel awards per year will be given to fellows from the same country.

Special attention will be given to support women physicists.

Only “early-career” physicists (within 10 years of their PhD) are eligible.

Contacts

itlabs@ictp.it

Organizers